Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75

Meaning

Regaining his consciousness after a long time the said Bharata, who was full of valour, got up and, casting a glance at his mother, who looked miserable at the unexpected turn of events, with her eyes full of tears, reproached her right and left in the midst of the ministers (who had evidently collected there on coming to know of Bharata’s arrival) and said, “I never coveted the throne, nor did I ever hold any consultation with my mother. (1-2)

Meaning

“Nor did I know anything about the installation of Śrī Rāma as Prince Regent which was contemplated by the king; for, I happened to be at that time in a distant land with Śatrughna, my brother. (3)

Meaning

“Nor again was I aware of the residence in the forest of the high-souled Śrī Rāma, nor how the exile of Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā) and Sītā came about.” (4)

Meaning

Recognizing the voice of the celebrated Bharata of noble mind, who was lamenting as aforesaid, Kausalyā spoke to Sumitrā as follows : (5)

Meaning

“I think Bharata, the son of Kaikeyī of cruel deeds, has returned from his maternal grandfather’s. I long to see the aforesaid Bharata, who takes a long-range view of things.” (6)

Meaning

Speaking as aforesaid to the said Sumitrā, the pale-faced and emaciated lady, who looked absent-minded, advanced trembling to the place where Bharata was. (7)

Meaning

Nay, accompanied by Śatrughna, the said prince, Bharata, too, on the other side, proceeded that very moment along the route by which Kausalyā’s apartments could be reached. (8)

Meaning

Perceiving Kausalyā, who was stricken with sorrow, and had fallen unconscious on the way, the two afflicted brothers, Śatrughna and Bharata, hugged her. (9)

Meaning

Embracing in return the two brothers, who were weeping through agony, the noble and high-minded Kausalyā, who was sore distressed, addressed Bharata as follows : (10)

Meaning

“Enjoy this kingdom, devoid of enemies, obtained by you, who coveted it. Alas, it has been promptly secured for you by Kaikeyī through a cruel deed in the shape of banishing Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. (11)

Meaning

“What good did the cruel-eyed Kaikeyī expect by sending into exile, as she did, my son, Rāma, as an ascetic clad in the bark of trees? (12)

Meaning

“Kaikeyī ought to send away soon me as well to the place where my exceptionally illustrious son with a golden navel (a distinguishing mark of Lord Viṣṇu) is sojourning. (13)

Meaning

“Or, placing the sacrificial fire* (carried by a Brāhmaṇa) ahead and followed by Sumitrā, I shall myself depart happily along the route by which Rāma has proceeded to the forest. (14)

Meaning

“Or, you ought personally to take me now freely to the place where my aforesaid son, a veritable tiger among men, is practising austerities. (15)

Meaning

“This extensive kingdom overflowing with riches and foodgrains and fully equipped with elephants, horses and chariots has actually been conferred on you by her, your mother.” (16)

Meaning

Bitterly reproached in many such cruel words, the sinless Bharata felt extremely pained as he would when pricked with a needle in the wound. (17)

Meaning

Having lost his consciousness, his mind being utterly confused to hear the taunting words of Kausalyā, Bharata presently regained his senses and, wailing in many ways, then fell at her feet. (18)

Meaning

To Kausalyā, overwhelmed with griefs of many kinds and lamenting as aforesaid, Bharata then replied with folded hands as follows : (19)

Meaning

“Wherefore do you reproach me, O noble lady, guileless as I am and did not know anything about Śrī Rāma’s exile before I returned to Ayodhyā? Nay, you know my great love borne towards Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu. (20)

Meaning

“Let his judgment never follow (the teachings of) the scriptures as taught by his preceptor, with whose concurrence my elder brother, who is true to his promise and is the foremost of the virtuous, has gone into exile. (21)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile suffer the lot of a servant of men belonging to the lowest stratum of society, incur the sin of answering the calls of nature facing the sun and reap the consequences of kicking cows lying asleep. (22)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile incur the sin that attaches to a master who robs his servant of his resources after getting him accomplish a great deed for him. (23)

Meaning

“Let the sin attaching to those bearing enmity to a king protecting his subjects as his own offspring, be incurred by him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile. (24)

Meaning

“Let the sin that attaches to a king who fails to protect the people even after collecting the land revenue in the form of one-sixth of the produce be incurred by him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile. (25)

Meaning

“Let the sin attaching to those withholding payment of the sacrificial fee even after promising it to the priests practising austerities and officiating at a sacrifice be incurred by him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile. (26)

Meaning

“Let the sin attaching to the man who fails to observe the code of warfare followed by the virtuous on a field of battle crowded with elephants, horses and chariots and thick with weapons of all kinds be incurred by him with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile. (27)

Meaning

“Let that wicked soul with whose concurrence my elder brother has gone into exile forget the sacred lore expounding the most esoteric truths, taught with great pains by an enlightened preceptor. (28)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the forest not live to see Śrī Rāma of muscular arms and shoulders, and possessing the splendour of the moon and the sun installed on the throne. (29)

Meaning

“Let that merciless fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods incur the sin of partaking of milk boiled with rice and sugar, seasoned rice boiled with sesame seeds and Moong (a kind of kidney bean), and goat-milk in vain (without offering them in the first instance to the almighty Lord, gods and manes etc.,) and of showing disrespect to his elders by failing to rise on their arrival and greet them. (30)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the forest incur the sin of touching the body of cows with his feet, reviling his elders and bearing deep-rooted malice to a friend. (31)

Meaning

“Let that evil-minded fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the forest incur the sin of revealing to someone else a fault of another confessed in private out of reliance (that he will not divulge the secret before anyone). (32)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods never be in a position to return a service; nay, let him prove ungrateful and shameless, let him be shunned by good men and hated by all. (33)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods incur the sin of partaking of a savoury dish alone, at his own home, though surrounded by a number of sons, servants and dependants. (34)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods die issueless, failing to secure a wife becoming of him, in point of pedigree, disposition and so on and in this way not enjoying the privilege of performing sacred duties like Agnihotra etc., which can be performed only by a married couple. (35)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods not behold the face of a male child through his wedded wife and die full of agony without attaining the full age of a hundred years. (36)

Meaning

“Let him incur the same sin which is declared as attaching to the act of killing a ruler, woman, infant or aged man and forsaking a dependant. (37)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed (for the woods) always support his dependants through sale of lacquer, honey and flesh, iron and poison, which is prohibited in the Śāstras*. (38)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods be killed while fleeing at a time when a battle inspiring terror into the adversaries has commenced. (39)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods roam about like a madman, clad in tatters and begging alms, bowl in hand. (40)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods be given over from day to day to wine as well as to women and dice and overpowered by lust and anger. (41)

Meaning

“Let the man with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods indulge in unrighteousness and shower his wealth on the undeserving and let his mind never take delight in piety. (42)

Meaning

“Let the possessions of every description, accumulated in thousands, of the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods be looted by robbers. (43)

Meaning

“Let that very sin which attaches to a man who sleeps during both the twilights be incurred by him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods. (44)

Meaning

“Let him incur that very sin which attaches to the man who practises arson, to him who violates the bed of his teacher and to the fellow who plays a friend foul. (45)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods not have an opportunity to do service to gods in the form of Agnihotra etc., and to the manes in the form of periodical Śrāddha and likewise to his living parents. (46)

Meaning

“Let the man with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods forfeit this very day, nay, at once his claim to the region inhabited by the virtuous after their death, forfeit his claim to the reputation enjoyed by good men and fall from the course of conduct followed by the righteous. (47)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother, distinguished by long arms and a broad chest, has departed for the woods be devoted to the evil path, giving up service to his mother. (48)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods be a pauper though having many dependants to support; let him be seized with ailment in the form of fever and suffer hardship continually. (49)

Meaning

“Let the man with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods falsify the hopes of destitute suppliants uttering his praises and looking upwards in his face in expectancy. (50)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods ever delight in deception, remaining a backbiter and impure and afraid of the king all his life, his mind being given to unrighteousness. (51)

Meaning

“Let the evil-minded fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods ignore his chaste wife who has attained purity after menstruation (and is thus fit to conceive) and approaches him for union, the period being favourable for procreation. (52)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods incur that very sin which attaches to a Brāhmaṇa whose offsprings have perished for lack of nourishment. (53)

Meaning

“Let that man of sinful mind with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods interrupt the worship going to be offered to a Brāhmaṇa by another and milk a cow which calved less than ten days ago. (54)

Meaning

“Let the fool with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods enjoy another’s wife, forsaking his lawful wife and having given up his love for piety. (55)

Meaning

“Let the fellow with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods incur all at once the sin that attaches to him who defiles the water of a well or tank as well as that which attaches to one who administers poison. (56)

Meaning

“Let the sin, which a man disappointing a person oppressed with thirst by recourse to deception in the form of giving a false report denying the presence of water, even though there is water with him, attach to him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods. (57)

Meaning

“Let him with whose concurrence my elder brother has departed for the woods be held guilty of the same sin which attaches to a man standing on the road and witnessing a dispute with partiality for one of the disputing parties.” (58)

Meaning

Even while reassuring as aforesaid Kausalyā, who was bereft both of her husband and son, the prince, Bharata, they say, fell to the ground, stricken as he was with agony. (59)

Meaning

Thereupon Kausalyā spoke as follows to Bharata, who was solemnly pleading his innocence by means of oaths that were hard to take and had become unconscious, sore stricken as he was with grief : (60)

Meaning

“The present agony of mine, my son, is aggravated all the more inasmuch as you are choking my breath while solemnly pleading your innocence by means of oaths. (61)

Meaning

“Luckily enough your mind, endowed as it is with excellences, has not deviated from righteousness. Since you are true to your promise, you will attain to the realms of the virtuous, my child !” (62)

Meaning

Saying so and placing the mighty-armed Bharata, who was so fond of his brother, on her lap, and embracing him, Kausalyā, who felt sore distressed, wept aloud. (63)

Meaning

The mind of the high-souled Bharata, who was wailing as aforesaid, stricken as he was with sorrow, got agitated through infatuation and excess of grief. (64)

Meaning

While Bharata was lamenting thus and lay fallen unconscious on the ground, sighing again and again through grief, his power of judgment having been lost, the aforesaid night passed. (65)